Situated within the residential grid blocks of Sunset Park, the project spans across five sites forming a network that reimagines urban experiences for the immigrant community. By repurposing residential row houses into workshop-based community centers with affordable housing, the design challenges zoning regulations. Under specific conditions, the proposed community facilities may obstruct setbacks and join interior lots into one. The rear yard extensions respond to adjacent site conditions, such as shared parking lots, driveways, or private gardens, resulting in varied forms and systems. New pathways linking street to street transform the row houses’ domestic scale, fostering informal community gatherings and altering the microclimate of the neighborhood. This climate adaptive approach extends to the housing units above, where double-sliding window facades adjust to seasonal changes. The shift in plan and circulations also serves as air shafts, creating natural ventilation within the row houses.
